General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to Lost Property Office Regarding Missing Items

You recently traveled by train and think that you left some of your possessions on the train.

Write a letter to the lost property office of the main station and include the following information. In your letter:

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to report the loss of my personal belongings following a journey on the 14:15 express service from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads yesterday, 14 October. I occupied seat 12B in carriage C for the duration of the trip.

Upon disembarking, I inadvertently left behind a dark navy leather briefcase. Inside, there is a silver MacBook Pro laptop, a set of noise-cancelling headphones, and a hardback notebook with a black cover. The briefcase has a small scuff mark on the bottom right corner, making it easily identifiable.

Could you please check your records and the train’s carriage for these items? If they have been handed in, I would appreciate it if you could contact me immediately via telephone or email to arrange collection. I am happy to provide proof of ownership if required.

I am currently staying in Bristol for business and will be heading back to London on Friday evening. If the items are located, I would be grateful if you could hold them securely until my return. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

188 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with specific, logical details while maintaining a consistently professional and polite tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide enough descriptive detail about the lost items, which makes the request for assistance vague and less effective.

Useful phrases from the letter

inadvertently
without intending to or by mistake
disembarking
leaving a ship, aircraft, or train
scuff mark
a shallow scratch or scrape on a surface
identifiable
able to be recognized or established as something
proof of ownership
evidence that shows an item belongs to you
be grateful
to feel or show appreciation for something

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

How long should an IELTS General Training letter be?

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

What does the examiner look for?

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with specific, logical details while maintaining a consistently professional and polite tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide enough descriptive detail about the lost items, which makes the request for assistance vague and less effective.

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